SPORT - The Peninsula · 4/2/2018  · TEHRAN: Al Rayyan will be ... a two-week break, welcome Sebastian Soria back into the fold after the striker served a one-match ban. ... Middle

SPORTMonday 2 April 2018

Patient Proteas build massive lead in

fourth Test

Joshua wants fight against Wilderafter Parker win

PAGE | 31 PAGE | 32-33 PAGE | 35 Ibra stars on

debut as Galaxyrally for a win

ACL: Al Rayyan eye away win THE PENINSULA

TEHRAN: Al Rayyan will be looking for a win against group leaders Esteghlal, coach Michael Laudrup said ahead of the team’s AFC Champions League clash today.

Al Rayyan, who have 6 points from 4 matches, will tackle home team Esteghlal at Azadi Stadium where crowd pressure can be a tough task for visitors to counter.

“We have the experience in dealing with crow pressure,” Laudrup said yesterday. “ Our goal is to get to the round of 16. We can do it. We presented a big game in Doha (against Al Hilal),” the popular Dane added.

Victory for either Esteghlal or Al Rayyan when the pair clash in Group D of the AFC Champions League at Azadi Stadium today would secure their passage into the knockout stage with a game to spare.

“It will be a difficult match for both teams but we seek to return with the three points,” Laudrup said.

Al Rayyan defender Saud Al

Khater said: “We have studied Esteghlal really well. We will work to create early attacks and play to our strengths. It will be 11 players against 11 players and yes, crowd pressure is always there but that is not an hindrance to us.”

Esteghlal played out a 1-1 draw with Al Ain on their last appearance in Tehran when 90,000 spectators turned out to see the Iranian giants maintain

their unbeaten run and remain on top of the standings.

Al Rayyan talisman Rodrigo Tabata scored the decisive goal as the Qatari team defeated Al Hilal 2-1 to claim their first victory of what is also an undefeated campaign and move level on six points with today’s opponents.

With the sides playing out a 2-2 draw in the opening game of the group stage, three points for either ensures a better

head-to-head record and would relieve any pressure going into the final round of fixtures.

Esteghlal, who have never lost at home to a Qatari side on the continent, warmed up for the game with a 2-1 league win over Naft Tehran on Thursday while Al Rayyan, who have had a two-week break, welcome Sebastian Soria back into the fold after the striker served a one-match ban.

Al Sadd to bank on in-formplayers against Al WaslRIZWAN REHMAT THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Football giants Al Sadd are delighted to welcome back national team players for their AFC Champions League clash against UAE’s Al Wasl today.

Star striker and captain Hassan Al Haydos, reliable midfielder Abdul Kareem Hassan, rising foward Akram Afif, defender Pedro Miguel and goal-keeper Saad Al Dosari played key roles in guiding Qatar to title glory in Iraq last week.

Coach Jesualdo Ferreira said yes-terday: “It was a good performance from our international players (who were) with the national team. That is a great motivator for us, especially after winning the International Friendship Championship in Iraq. All those players have the confidence and motivation to do well going into this match.”

Al Sadd are at the top of Group C with nine points from four matches. Second-placed Persepolis of Iran also have nine points.

The veteran Portuguese coach said Al Wasl, despite being already eliminated from this year’s champi-onship, remained a potent threat in the game at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.

“The game will not be easy. Eve-ryone knows that there is a psycho-logical aspect to such matches,” Fer-reira said. “We are looking to get three points and seal our qualification to the next round,” he added. “The players are looking confident,” he said.

“We will be up against a fighting team and it is a very important match for us. It is important that the team wins and that we qualify for the second round. We have no excuse not to win tomorrow at home, in front of our own fans,” he added.

Defender Hamed Ismail said yes-terday: “We have worked hard during the last few days that we got off from the league. The team is fully prepared, especially after the return of our inter-national players. We are looking at a win and we will play to win.”

Ismail added: “Our goal is to go advance in the AFC Champions League. We want to compete for all the events we take part in. We will try to go the distance but with a step-by-step approach to achieve our goals.”

Al Rayyan players, officials and supporing staff pose for a photograph upon their arrival in Tehran on the eve of their AFC Champions League clash against Esteghlal.

beIN to broadcast Indian Premier League in MENATHE PENINSULA

DOHA: The most popular Twenty20 cricket league in the world, the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL), has a new home across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) following a major deal announced yesterday by beIN Media Group (beIN).

Under the five-year deal, Star India has awarded the tel-evision & digital rights to beIN who will screen the upcoming 2018 VIVO IPL competition, together with the proceeding four editions of the tournament until 2022.

The announcement sees a further strengthening of beIN’s burgeoning global cricket

portfolio, following long term rights agreements signed in 2017 with Cricket Australia (CA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which saw beIN broadcast both the 2017 Ashes test series and the 2018 Big Bash League.

Commenting on the announcement, Yousef Al Obaidly, Deputy CEO of beIN Media Group, said: “Today’s announcement further estab-lishes beIN’s position as the new home of cricket across the Middle East and North Africa.

Interest in the VIVO IPL has never been greater and the spec-tacle is ready made for tele-vision, with several innovations designed to engage new fans and bring cricket closer to viewers.

“By adding the VIVO IPL to our existing ECB and CA cov-erage, we can now provide viewers with top class premium cricket content all year round. These agreements further strengthen beIN’s position as the undisputed first choice sports and entertainment broadcaster in the region.”

Rahul Johri, CEO of BCCI, said: “The IPL is an initi-ative that has greatly extended the appeal of Cricket from die-hard sports lovers to entire fam-ilies. While the IPL has grown each year since its inception, Vivo IPL 2018 promises to be an inflection point that will truly galvanize its popularity and fol-lowing. We at BCCI are proud to have given the world its most loved cricket extravaganza, and

it gives us great pleasure that this time around, beIN SPORTS will take the IPL to mil-lions of fans across the Middle East and North Africa, through TV and Digital.”

Sanjay Gupta, MD of Star India, said: “VIVO IPL is a contest of the world’s best cricketers pitted against each other in the most gruelling, competitive tournament - a fan-tastic celebration of the game of cricket. Reimagining how VIVO IPL 2018 will reach fans across TV and digital, Star India has harnessed the trans-formative power of technology to make one of the biggest leagues in the world even bigger. To enable the widest

ever reach for fans of VIVO IPL worldwide Star India has tied up with like-minded partners who share the same passion for the game. In the MENA region we are happy to partner with beIN SPORTS for the Vivo IPL 2018 which will enthrall mil-lions of cricket fans across the region on both, TV and Digital.”

Since 2007, the IPL has grown into one of the world’s leading sports and ranks as the sixth most attended sports league in the world in terms of live in-stadium attendance. This year’s tournament starts on April 7 and will be broadcast and streamed live by beIN SPORTS across 24 countries throughout the MENA region.

Al Sadd’s players in action during a training session ahead of their AFC Champions League clash against UAE’s Al Wasl yesterday.

(Kick off times in Qatar time) TODAY:

Group C

FC Nasaf (UZB) vs Persepolis FC (IRN)Group D

Esteghlal FC (IRN) vs Al

Rayyan SC (QAT)

Azadi Stadium, Tehran:

18:30 Group D

Al Ain FC (UAE) vs Al Hilal SFC (KSA)

Group C

Al Sadd SC (QAT) vs Al Wasl

FC (UAE)

Jassim bin Hamad Stadium,

Doha: 19:00

TOMORROW

Group G

Cerezo Osaka (JPN) vs Jeju United FC (KOR)

Group G

Buriram United (THA) vs Guangzhou Evergrande FC

(CHN)Group H

Suwon Samsung Bluewings (KOR) vs Sydney FC (AUS)

Group H

Shanghai Shenhua FC (CHN) vs Kashima Antlers (JPN)

Group B

Zobahan FC (IRN) vs Al

Duhail SC (QAT)

Foolad Shahr Stadium,

Isfahan: 17:15

Group B

Al Wahda FSCC (UAE) vs PFC Lokomotiv (UZB)

Group A

Al Gharafa (QAT) vs Al Jazira

FSC (UAE)

Thani bin Jassim Stadium,

Doha: 18:30

Group A

Al Ahli Saudi FC (KSA) vs Tractorsazi Tabriz (IRN)

WEDNESDAY

Group F

Ulsan Hyundai FC (KOR) vs Melbourne Victory (AUS)

Group E

Kashiwa Reysol (JPN) vs Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC

(KOR)Group E

Kitchee SC (HKG) vs Tianjin Quanjian FC (CHN)Group F

Shanghai SIPG FC (CHN) vs Kawasaki Frontale (JPN)

AFC CHAMPIONS

LEAGUE:

Group Stage Fixtures

fightr

win

30 MONDAY 2 APRIL 2018SPORT

High-flying Al Duhail eye Zobahan scalp in Group B

RIZWAN REHMAT THE PENINSULA

DOHA: Qatar champions Al Duhail will be playing for a win against feisty Iranian hosts Zobahan when the two side clash in a Group B clash in the AFC Champions League tomorrow.

Unbeaten in four matches, Al Duhail players are well rested following a break of more than 10 days due to international friendlies at the end of March.

“We are looking for a positive result,” Al Duhail’s Brazilian defender Lucas Mendes said ahead of his team’s fifth AFC Champions League match to be played at Foolad Shahr Stadium in Isfahan, Iran.

“After we won the QNB Stars League (QSL) title, we turned our attention to the AFC Champions League. We still have two games to go and we are fully focused,” he added.

Al Duhail have been well served by star striker Youssef El Arabi who has found the net six times in four matches

to lead the scorers’ sheet for this season so far.

“I am happy to say that my team mates are ready for this match. We will play to get positive results so that we keep our slate clean. This is an important game and our motivation is to remain unbeaten this phase. We have never done this before,” Mendes said.

“We’ve trained well with a lot of energy. The atmos-phere in the dressing rooms is great. This will help us

play the way we want to,” Mendes said.

Defender Murad Nagy said winning the QSL title has been driving force in Al Duhail doing well in the AFC Champions League.

“The team proved its strength and depth by winning the QSL title. We thank God for that glory,” Nagy said yesterday.

“We feel we have important games to play. The players are ready, I can tell you that much. We have already qualified but we are playing for wins,” Nagy added.

“Like Lucas said, we want to remain unbeaten and we will put in greater amounts of effort to get a positive result,” he said.

“I am hopeful we can deliver a special per-formance as we are playing an away game,” Nagy said.

“I wish the best for other Qatar sides - Al S a d d , A l Rayyan and Al Gharafa - as they are also

playing this week,” he added.

Al Duhail, coached by Djamel Belmadi, concluded

their preparation for the Iran trip, club said yesterday.

A club official said star striker Youssef Msakeni is back in training with the side following a break due to a knee injury.

Al Duhail are within one match of finishing the Qatari League season unbeaten, having sealed the title with three games to go. Now, they have the chance to join an elite group of clubs in the AFC Champions League. Al Duhail fans breathed a sigh of relief as the final whistle at the Lokomotiv Stadium in Tashkent confirmed a hard-fought win for their side. Two goals from Youssef El Arabi had brought them from the brink of a first defeat in the competition to seal their passage into the 2018 AFC Champions League knockout stage with two matches to spare. The result also meant Djamel Belmadi’s men can join an elite group of clubs to win all six AFC Champions League group stage matches in a season, should they achieve victories against Zobahan and Al Wahda in April.

Belmadi’s men gunning to keep unbeaten record intact

Zobahan desperatefor a winTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: Al Duhail are the only team is West Asia to have already booked their passage to the knockout phase and the Qatari side travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran to face Zobahan today.

Zobahan are three points clear of Lokomotiv and Al Wahda in second place. The Iranian side could join Al Duhail in the next round if they win and the game between the other two sides ends in stalemate. Lokomotiv desperately need a win after three defeats in a row and face an Al Wahda side who drew level on points with them following their first win of the campaign against Zobahan three weeks ago.

Regardless of the result, Lokomo-tiv’s 5-0 victory over the Emirati side on Matchday One is likely to mean they have a better head-to-head going into the last game; however, it is possible the three teams could all end on six points.

Players of Al Duhail celebrate a goal against Al

Kharaitiyat in their QNB Stars League match in Doha in

this file photo.

We are looking for a positive result. After we won the QNB Stars League (QSL) title, we turned our attention to the AFC Champions League. We still have two games to go and we are fully focused: Al Duhail’s defender Lucas Mendes

Shanghai SIPG’s Brazilian forward Hulk

Hulk to lock horns with former sideWWW.THE-AFC.COM

SHANGHAI: After spending his early

playing days at Kawasaki Frontale, Hulk

has fond memories of Japan, but the

Shanghai SIPG captain could now be

the man to oust his former team when

they clash in the 2018 AFC Champions

League tomorrow.

Since moving to Shanghai SIPG in

2016, Brazilian superstar Hulk has

become one of the most dangerous and

threatening strikers on the continent,

with 10 goals in 17 AFC Champions

League appearances for the Chinese

side.

But as many followers of Asian

football will be well aware, this isn’t the

first time Hulk has played club football

in Asia.

The 31-year-old, who won the 2013

Confederations Cup and has earned

almost 50 caps for Brazil, started his

professional career in Japan, playing in

the J.League from 2005 to 2008, and

his first port of call was Kawasaki

Frontale.

As fate would have it, both

Kawasaki and Shanghai SIPG were

drawn in Group F of this year’s AFC

Champions League, meeting on

Matchday One in Kawasaki in what was

a homecoming of sorts for the Brazilian

superstar, as his latest team defeated

his former side 1-0.

Before that match, Hulk took to

Instagram to reminisce about his time in

Kawasaki and the affection he still feels

towards the club. “In 2005 I had the

opportunity of an adventure in Asia. Des-

tination: Japan. Club? Kawasaki Frontale,”

he wrote to his 2.6 million followers.

“Today, after 13 years, I step again

on the pitch of Todoroki Stadium not

to play for, but to play against Kawasaki

Frontale. Today I’m playing for Shanghai

SIPG from China. I’ll get the chance to

play against my old teammates that

welcomed me so good in 2005 when I

was just starting my career as a pro-

fessional football player.

Few could have predicted the

stellar career the Brazilian would have

when he was a raw, prodigiously tal-

ented teenager arriving in Japan at the

tail end of 2005.

Originally on loan from Vitoria, he

played nine times for Kawasaki at the

end of 2005, finding the back of the

net once, as the team faded to finish

mid-table.

But officials at Kawasaki liked what

they saw of the fresh-faced,

strong-bodied attacker and signed him

on a permanent deal, before loaning

him to Consadole Sapporo and Tokyo

Verdy for the 2006 and 2007 seasons

respectively.

It was in Sapporo and Tokyo that

Hulk really started to blossom, with 62

goals in 80 matches, and before long

he was on his way to Europe where he

enjoyed a successful nine seasons with

both FC Porto and Zenit St Petersburg,

before he once again returned to Asia.

But this time he arrived as a genuine

international superstar, breaking the

Asian transfer fee record.

This week Shanghai SIPG once

again take on Kawasaki, this time in his

new home of Shanghai, and Hulk once

again gets a chance to line up against

the club that gave him his first big break

as a professional player.

31MONDAY 2 APRIL 2018 SPORT

Coach Emery hails PSG after League Cup triumphAFP

BORDEAUX: Despite their elim-ination from the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain are ‘going well’ said coach Unai Emery, while defending his record, after his team won the French League Cup final.

PSG beat Monaco 3-0 in Bor-deaux on Saturday night in a final that created more debate over video replay, was followed by messages of congratulation from PSG’s injured superstar, Neymar, and was accompanied by vio-lence off the pitch which left four policemen hurt.

“I believe the club is going well,” Emery said after PSG won the trophy for a fifth straight time.

“It’s stronger now to make history here in France and then to continue to grow abroad, in Europe and in the rest of the world.” Yet the main target this season had been Europe rather than a fourth domestic league title. The second straight elimi-nation in the last 16 of the Cham-pions League makes it unlikely his contract, which runs out in

June, will be renewed. Names of potential successors at PSG have begun to leak out with several French media saying the German Thomas Tuchel was the favourite.

“Even if there is a very, very solid project it can be difficult to keep patience,” said Emery.

“It’s necessary to have patience and consistency.” Neymar, the club’s biggest star, sent his congratulations from Brazil, where he is recuperating from foot surgery, singling out Dani Alves.

Both should be part of the Brazil squad at the World Cup that starts on June 14.

Neymar posted a photo of the 34-year-old defender, who won his 36th trophy on Saturday, standing next to a collection of cups with the headline “Greatest champion in history.” In the accompanying text, mixing Por-tuguese and French, the striker wrote: “Congratulations to all, very happy for you!!! ALLEZ PARIS @psg @danialves this con-gratulations is more special for you brother, for whom trophies are part of this your history..

hopefully more will come, including July. I love you idol!” Neymar also posted a video of the fourth-minute penalty kick by Edinson Cavani that put PSG ahead. Earlier this season, the

two men fought over who should take a spot kick.

The penalty on Saturday fol-lowed a three-minute delay for video review after Monaco centre-back Kamil Glik brought

down Kylian Mbappe. Later in the first half, Monaco had a goal by Radamel Falcao ruled out on review for a tight offside.

Even though video review benefited his team, PSG defender

Presnel Kimpembe was uneasy.“Today, it went in our favour,

so we are going to say that we are happy, but the video is a problem,” Kimpembe said. The delay meant the “players got cold, everyone was waiting, it was rather a pain in the neck.” Colombian striker Falcao was unhappy.

“I don’t know what the referee could have seen on his video screen to give the penalty,” the Monaco captain said.

“This type of decision could kill football, above all when it isn’t clear cut, notably for offside. We lost four minutes and then the referee only played two minutes of added time at the end of the first half.” The violence off the field involved confrontations between rival groups of PSG fans and supporters of both clubs and the police.

The match “was the scene of many clashes between the police and the supporters of the two teams who came to Bordeaux to fight,” the French police union said in a statement, adding that four officers from special units were hurt, “some seriously.”

PSG’s players after victory against Monaco in the French League Cup final in Bordeaux on Saturday.

Ibra stars on debut as Galaxy rally for a winREUTERS

CARSON, CALIFORNIA: Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice on his LA Galaxy debut including a winner in stoppage time as his new team battled back from three goals down to defeat the upstart LAFC 4-3 in a thrilling match on Saturday.

Ibrahimovic, who came on as a substitute in the 71st minute, scored six minutes into his first MLS game with a dipping 35-metre shot that soared over the outstretched arms of LAFC goalie Tyler Miller.

The Swedish striker fol-lowed up with a gutsy header in the 91st minute from a pass by Ashley Cole that proved to be Galaxy’s winner, sending the sell-out crowd of 27,068 into a frenzy on a sun-soaked day in Southern California.

“I heard the crowd saying ‘We want Zlatan, we want Zlatan’,” the 36-year-old told reporters.

“So I gave them Zlatan. They were pushing me and I was giving back.”

The inaugural “El Traffico” derby was all one-way traffic at the start as expansion team LAFC immediately put pressure on a short-handed Galaxy squad, who were playing without Romain Alessandrini, Jonathan dos Santos and Giovani dos Santos.

The Mexican struck again 21 minutes later from close range when Galaxy keeper David Bingham fell down and Vela hit the top of the

crossbar before the ball landed over the line.

An own goal by Galaxy defender Daniel Steres in the 48th minute gave LAFC a 3-0 lead and the highly-antici-pated first meeting between the two LA teams appeared all but over.

But Galaxy fought back in the second half with goals by Sebastian Lletget and Chris Pontius before Ibrahi-movic stole the show.

Trailing 3-1, Galaxy fans began chanting for Ibrahi-movic and coach Sigi Schmid obliged, bringing the tow-ering forward into his first match since December as he recovers from a knee injury suffered playing for England’s Manchester United.

Ibrahimovic exceeded the sky-high expectations placed on his shoulders and instantly made good on his promise to help the Galaxy return to their winning ways after a dismal 2017 cam-paign where they failed to make the play-offs for the first time since 2008.

“My history when I come to a new team, I always score in the first game,” said Ibrahimovic, who has played for European heavyweights Ajax Amsterdam, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris St Germain.

“I didn’t want to let it down this time.”

Next up for the Galaxy (2-1-1) is a trip to Sporting Kansas City on April 8 while LAFC (2-1) host Atlanta United next Saturday.

Messi keeps Barca’s unbeaten run aliveAP

MADRID: Lionel Messi kept alive Barcelona’s unbeaten streak in the Spanish league by coming off the bench and scoring an 89th-minute equaliser to draw with Sevilla 2-2 on Saturday.

Sevilla led 2-0 until the 88th minute when Luis Suarez scored. Then Messi got on the board a minute later to keep the Catalan club’s 30-match unbeaten run going.

Messi, who recently missed two international friendlies with Argentina because of an unspec-ified leg muscle problem, started

on the bench at Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium and went on in the 58th, not long after Sevilla scored its second through Luis Muriel. Franco Vazquez put the hosts ahead in the first half.

Suarez scored from inside the area and Messi quickly got the equalizer with a well-placed left-footed shot into the lower corner, taking his league-leading tally to 26.

Sevilla had good chances for its third goal while it was leading. Sevilla stayed in sixth place. Sevilla and Barcelona will play the Copa del Rey final on April 21 at Atletico’s Wanda Met-ropolitano Stadium in Madrid.

Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (right) celebrates a goal with team-mate Jordi Alba on Saturday.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Los Angeles Galaxy warms up before the game against the Los Angeles FC on Saturday.

Alli shines as Spurs break Chelsea jinxREUTERS

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur claimed a first victory at Chelsea for 28 years with Dele Alli scoring twice in the second half as they came back to win 3-1 and cement fourth place in the Premier League yesterday.

It looked like being a familiar tale of woe for the north London side when Hugo Lloris’s error of judgement allowed Alvaro Morata to head Chelsea in front after half an hour.

Tottenham responded in first-half stoppage time with midfielder Christian Eriksen, who had already tested home keeper Willy Caballero with one fizzing effort, dipping a right-foot shot over the bemused Argentine from 30 yards.

There was a growing sense of belief in Tottenham’s play after the interval and Alli struck twice from close range in four minutes just past the hour to turn the game on its head.

Tottenham, who enjoyed a further boost when Harry Kane came off the bench having recovered from an ankle injury, moved eight points clear of fifth-placed Chelsea with seven games left. They have 64 points, two points behind third-placed Liverpool with a game in hand.

Earlier, Arsenal dealt Stoke City’s Premier League survival hopes a cruel blow at the Emirates with three late goals in a 3-0 victory that left the visitors second from bottom with six games left to play.

After a dreary hour and a quarter of play punctuated by

occasional booing from the home crowd, Mesut Ozil won a penalty when he raced into the box only to be brought down by Stoke’s Bruno Martins Indi.

Pierre-Emerick Aubam-eyang scored from the spot and then struck again from close range 12 minutes later, before Alexandre Lacazette converted another penalty, having been brought crashing to the ground by Badou Ndiaye.

The loss leaves Stoke 19th in the league with 27 points, while Arsenal stay sixth with 51 points.

Tottenham’s Dele Alli (left) celebrates with team-mates after scoring their second goal against Chelsea yesterday.

YesterdayArsenal 3 (Aubameyang 75-pen, 86, Lacazette 89-pen) Stoke 0

Chelsea 1 (Morata 30) Tottenham 3 (Eriksen 45+1, Alli 62, 66)

Played on SaturdayBrighton 0 Leicester 2 (Iborra 83, Vardy 90+6)

Crystal Palace 1 (Milivojevic 13-pen) Liverpool 2 (Mane 49, Salah 84)

Everton 1 (Bolasie 63) Manchester City 3 (Sane 4, Jesus 12, Sterling

37)

Manchester United 2 (Lukaku 5, Sanchez 20) Swansea 0

Newcastle 1 (Perez 80) Huddersfield 0

Watford 2 (Femenia 13, Pereyra 49) Bournemouth 2 (King 43-pen,

Defoe 90+2)

West Brom 1 (Rondon 83) Burnley 2 (Barnes 22, Wood 73)

West Ham 3 (Mario 13, Arnautovic 17, 45+4) Southampton 0

PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS

32 MONDAY 2 APRIL 2018SPORT 33MONDAY 2 APRIL 2018 SPORT

Steyn reveals

comeback plan

AFP

JOHANNESBURG: South African fast bowler Dale Steyn (pictured) revealed yesterday that he is

targeting a stint with English county Hampshire in June

as his comeback to c o m p e t i t i v e cricket.

Steyn, 34, has seldom played in the past two years because of

injuries.But he told

SuperSport tele-vision yesterday that he was close to full fitness

after missing the series against Aus-

tralia following his latest setback, a heel

injury suffered in the first Test against India

in January.“I could get through 12

or 15 overs but that’s not enough to be competitive in

a Test match,” he said.Steyn is just two short of

Shaun Pollock’s South African Test record of 421 wickets. He is

likely to have another chance to break the record when South Africa

tour Sri Lanka in July and August.“The Proteas don’t play for quite

a while,” said Steyn.“I’m going to take another month

off. I’m not going to the IPL (Indian Premier League). I’m looking to go over to Hampshire in June to play a little bit of cricket, then Sri Lanka in July.”

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tour Sri Lanka in Jul“The Proteas don

a while,” said Steyn“I’m going to take

off. I’m not going toPremier League). I’mover to Hampshire ilittle bit of cricket, thJuly.”

Vince, Stoneman give England scent of victory in ChristchurchAFP

CHRISTCHURCH: James Vince and Mark Stoneman were the toast of England yesterday as they ended day three of the second Test against New Zealand sensing their first away victory in two years.

England, who have not tasted success in their last 12 away Tests, hold a healthy 231-run lead with seven second innings wickets in hand.

“A good couple of sessions (on Monday) and we’ve got a chance of forcing a win,” batting coach Gra-ham Thorpe said with their strong position the result of a 123-run stand by Vince and Stoneman for the sec-ond wicket.

The pair came together at 24 for one after the loss of Alastair Cook with Vince going on to make 76 and Stoneman his highest score in Tests with 60.

“Both would have loved to have got 100s and gone on, but they will get a good pat from us in the dress-ing room,” Thorpe said.

Joe Root was not out 30 at the end of the day with Dawid Malan on 19 as England ended the day on 202 for three. BJ Watling, who made 85 in New Zealand’s rearguard action to lift their first innings to 278, believed the first session on Monday would likely dictate the outcome.

“We’re probably fractionally behind. Obviously Vince and Stone-man had a really good partnership,” he said.

Cook went early for 14, continu-ing a disappointing run for the opener in which he has totalled only 23 in four innings in New Zealand,

and has been removed by Trent Boult each time. But Vince and Stoneman put England’s innings back on track, helped by a benign wicket which offered little assistance to the bowlers.

Stoneman, whose previous best was 56 in the third Test against Aus-tralia three months back, had an anxious moment on 35 when given out caught behind, but the decision was overturned on review.

On 48 he was dropped by Ross Taylor at first slip and he brought up his 50 with a nick off Tim Southee that sailed just past the outstretched arm of wicketkeeper BJ Watling to the boundary.

But on 60 his luck ran out when he tried beating the cordon once too often and another edge off Southee was pouched by a diving Watling.

Vince went in similar fashion when he nicked Boult to the sole slip Taylor who made no mistake with the second chance to fly his way.

Root and Malan carried England through until bad light stopped play three overs early and will face a fur-ther 14 overs on Monday before the new ball is due.

The New Zealand first innings survived nearly 20 overs at the start of the day. Watling advanced his over-night 77 to 85, Ish Sodhi had a brief stay for one, and Tim Southee made 50 -- his fourth Test half century. Neil Wagner and Boult put on a rollicking 39 off 42 deliveries for the last wicket before Boult was out for 16, leaving Wagner unbeaten on 24.

Stuart Broad finished with six for 54, the ninth-best return in his sto-ried 115-Test career, while Anderson took four for 76.

England’s Mark Stoneman bats during day three of

the second cricket Test match against New Zealand at

Hagley Oval in Christchurch yesterday.

ENGLAND first innings 307 (J. Bairstow 101, M. Wood 52; Southee 6-62, Boult 4-87)NEW ZEALAND first innings (overnight 192-6)J. Raval c Bairstow b Anderson ............................ 5

T. Latham c Bairstow b Broad ..............................0

K. Williamson c Bairstow b Anderson ..............22

R. Taylor c Cook b Broad ........................................ 2

H. Nicholls lbw Broad .............................................0

B. Watling b Anderson .........................................85

C. de Grandhomme c Bairstow b Broad ..........72

T. Southee b Anderson .........................................50

I. Sodhi c Bairstow b Broad ....................................1

N. Wagner not out ................................................24

T. Boult c Malan b Broad ...................................... 16

Extras: (lb1) ........................................................1

Total: (for 10 wickets; 93.3 overs) .278Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Latham), 2-14 (Raval),

3-17 (Taylor), 4-17 (Nicholls), 5-36 (Williamson),

6-178 (de Grandhomme), 7-226 (Watling),

8-231 (Sodhi), 9-239 (Southee), 10-278 (Boult)

Bowling: Anderson 24-5-76-4, Broad 22.3-5-

54-6, Wood 21-3-69-0, Leach 19-3-52-0, Root

1-0-9-0, Stokes 6-2-17-0

ENGLAND second inningsA. Cook c Watling b Boult .................................... 14

M. Stoneman c Watling b Southee ................... 60

J. Vince c Taylor b Boult ........................................76

J. Root not out ........................................................30

D. Malan not out .................................................... 19

Extras: (lb1, w1, nb1) .......................................3

Total: (for 3 wickets; 66 overs) ..... 202 Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Cook), 2-147 (Stone-

man), 3-165 (Vince)

Bowling: Boult 15-3-38-2, Southee 13-3-42-1,

de Grandhomme 12-0-37-0 (1w, 1nb), Wagner

15-2-37-0, Sodhi 11-0-46-0.

Toss: New Zealand

Series: New Zealand lead 1-0

SCOREBOARD

Candice blames herself for Warner’s part in ball-tampering scandalAFP

SYDNEY: Disgraced Australia former vice-captain David Warner’s wife Candice said yesterday she blamed herself for his part in the ball-tamper-ing scandal, adding that the taunts they faced in South Africa took a huge toll.

Opening batsman Warner was banned for one year from domestic and international cricket over the plot to change the condition of the ball on the third day of the third Test against South Africa eight days ago.

In a tearful press confer-ence in Sydney on Saturday, the 31-year-old spoke of his fear that he would never get to represent Australia again as his wife watched on.

“I feel like it’s all my fault and it’s killing me -- it’s abso-lutely killing me,” Candice Warner told Sydney’s Sunday Telegraph.

The Test series was already fractious before the ball-tam-pering affair, with a row between David Warner and Quinton de Kock during the first Test which the Australian said was sparked when the South African insulted his wife.

Two senior Cricket South Africa officials were also pho-tographed with three spectators wearing All Black rugby player Sonny Bill Wil-liams face masks during the second Test in reference to a reported encounter Candice Warner had with him in 2007 before she met Warner.

Candice Warner said she was not making excuses for her husband’s behaviour over the scandal but added that he was “protecting me as much as he could and protecting the girls (their children)”.

“But Dave would come home from the game and see me in tears in the bedroom, and the girls just looking at their mum, it’s been heart-breaking,” she said.

“When we were in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, Dave would come home and, yes, I always put on a strong front and I turn out to the games.

“But seeing them wearing the masks, to have people staring and pointing and laughing at me, to have the signs, to have, you know, the songs made up about me, I would have to sit there and cop that.”

Candice Warner also called for sympathy and patience from Australian fans,

saying the batsman was strug-gling to cope with the fallout.

Warner evaded questions during the press conference about whether the ball-tam-pering plan was his idea, whether it was the first time, who else was aware of it and whether he had been made a scapegoat.

He has appeared isolated after being charged by Cricket Australia with developing the plot and telling Cameron Ban-croft -- who was suspended for nine months -- to carry it out.

“I’m sure there were things he wanted to say but he just couldn’t get it out. He is hurt-ing. He is seriously, seriously struggling and he’s not in a great headspace,” she said.

Australian

cricketer David

Warner and his

wife Candice

arrive at a press

conference at the

Sydney Cricket

Ground (SCG)

in Sydney on

Saturday, after

returning from

South Africa.

When we were in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth I always put on a strong front and I turn out to the games. But seeing them wearing the masks, to have people staring and pointing and laughing at me, to have the signs, to have, you know, the songs made up about me, I would have to sit there and cop that: Candice Warner

AFP

SYDNEY: Former captain Mark Taylor said yesterday that Cricket Australia were consid-ering a ban on sledging, or verbal taunting, after the ball-tampering scandal and fractious current Test series with South Africa.

The cheating crisis in the third Test, which saw Steve Smith and David Warner stripped of the captaincy and vice-captaincy and banned from the sport for a year, fol-lowed an ill-tempered start to the series. Cameron Bancroft was also suspended for nine months.

When asked if a ban on sledging was “a possibility”, Taylor, a Cricket Australia board member, told broadcaster Channel Nine: “Absolutely. You

are not going to stop people talking out on the field. Talking is one thing,” he added.

“Abusing, sledging... bully-ing, verbalising whatever you want to call it is another thing. It’s gone too far.”

The practice of sledging -- taunting opponents verbally on the field with the aim of dis-tracting them -- has been in the spotlight after Warner and South Africa’s Quinton de Kock were involved in a physical con-frontation during the first Test.

Warner had said the con-frontation was triggered by a jibe about his wife, reportedly in retaliation after De Kock was sledged by the Australian.

Taylor would not reveal what his plans were when asked if he would move a motion on the CA board to ban sledging.

“That may or may not

happen in a board meeting in three weeks’ time that’s not to be aired on national television,” he said.

His comments came in the wake of outgoing Australia coach Darren Lehmann’s vow to “take a leaf” out of the play-ing style and conduct of teams such as New Zealand, who

imposed a no-sledging policy in 2013 after their own crisis of confidence.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has also called for an end to sledging, saying Tuesday that the “strong-est action” needed to be taken as the verbal abuse had gotten “right out of control”.

The recent Ashes series was likewise marred by sledging, with tensions between Smith and England bowler James Anderson leading umpire Aleem Dar to have to separate the pair when the Australian was batting.

Anderson described the Aussies as bullies who over-stepped the line ahead of the Adelaide Test, with Smith retorting that the Englishman was one of the biggest sledgers in the game.

Abusing, sledging... bullying, verbalising whatever you want to call it is another thing. It’s gone too far: Former Australian captain Mark Taylor

Former captain Mark Taylor

Taylor says Australia may ban verbals

Patient Proteas build massive leadAFP

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa moved into a powerful position despite a fight-back by Australia and an injury to fast bowler Morne Morkel on the third day of the fourth Test at the Wanderers Stadium yesterday.

South Africa finished the day on 134 for three in their second innings, an overall lead of 401.

The Proteas, leading the series 2-1, need only to draw to beat Australia in a home series for the first time since 1969/70.

But Australia provided the fight that had been promised the previous evening by bowling coach David Saker.

From a seemingly hopeless over-night total of 110 for six, they added another 111 runs before being bowled out.

South Africa did not enforce the fol-low on, with doubts about the ability of Morkel to bowl because of a side strain.

Australia’s bowlers then restricted the hosts to a run rate of 2.4 in the sec-ond innings.

New captain Tim Paine set the example in the morning. Despite bat-ting with a hairline fracture of his right thumb, he made a defiant 62 before being last man out.

Paine and Pat Cummins walked out to resume the Australian innings on a heavily overcast morning, with their team facing the humiliation of being bowled out quickly and forced to fol-low on.

But they stayed together for most of the morning, with Cummins making a Test-best 50 off 92 balls before he missed a sweep and was leg before wicket to left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj shortly before lunch.

Their seventh wicket partnership was worth 99, the best for any wicket by Australia in the series.

Morkel, playing in his last Test before retiring from international cricket, broke down as South Africa toiled in search of a breakthrough,

leaving the field two balls into his fourth over of the day.

A South African team spokesman said the injury was in the same area that he damaged in a Test against Bangla-desh in October, keeping him out of action for two months.

But after being strapped up, Morkel bowled a few gentle deliveries to coach Ottis Gibson during lunch and took the field with the rest of the team after the interval, giving hope that he may be able to bowl in the second innings, even if it is not at full pace.

South Africa did not attempt to force the pace in the second innings, although Aiden Markram again struck the ball crisply in making 37 off 56 balls.

With a 2-1 lead in the series and only three fully-fit front-line bowlers, South Africa may have wanted not only to build an indomitable lead but to use up time.

Markram’s innings took him to exactly 1,000 runs in 18 innings in his first ten Tests.

The only South African to reach the mark in fewer innings was former

captain Graeme Smith, achieved the feat in 17 innings.

The scoring rate dried up, with off-spinner Nathan Lyon gaining turn and bounce from the golf course end, while Cummins again challenged the batsmen with high-quality fast bowling.

AB de Villiers threatened briefly to ignite the scoring rate, but was caught behind when he tried to cut a ball from Cummins that bounced sharply.

Opening batsman Dean Elgar was particularly obdurate, scoring 39 not out off 158 balls.

PAKISTANFakhar Zaman run out ....................................39

Babar Azam lbw b Emrit .................................17

Hussain talat run out ........................................41

Sarfraz Ahmed c Fletcher b Powell .............. 38

Shoaib Malik not out .........................................37

Asif Ali b Paul ........................................................ 1

Faheem Ashraf not out ....................................16

Extras: (lb6, nb1, w7) .....................................14

Total: (for five wkts; 20 overs) ....... 203Did not bat: Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad

Amir, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali

Fall of wickets: 1-46 (Azam), 2-65 (Zaman),

3-140 (talat), 4-150 (Sarfraz), 5-156 (Asif)

Bowling: Badree 4-0-37-0 (w5), Paul 4-0-26-

1 (nb1), Emrit 4-0-43-1, Williams 4-0-42-0,

Permaul 0.3-0-8-0 (w2), Samuels 0.3-0-7-0,

Powell 3-0-34-1,

WEST INDIESC. Walton c Asif b Nawaz .................................. 6

A. Fletcher c talat b Amir .................................. 0

M. Samuels c Ashraf b Nawaz ........................18

J. Mohammad c talat b Amir ............................ 0

D. Ramdin c Nawaz b Hasan ........................... 0

R. Powell c and b Shadab ..................................5

K. Paul not out .................................................. 10

R. Emrit c talat b Malik ......................................11

K. Williams c Babar b Malik .............................. 0

S. Badree c Malik b talat .....................................7

V. Permaul absent injured -

Extras: (w3) ........................................................3

Total: (all out: 13.4 overs) ................. 60Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Walton), 2-8 (Fletcher),

3-8 (Mohammad), 4-15 (Ramdin), 5-27 (Powell),

6-33 (Samuels), 7-51 (Emrit), 8-51 (Williams),

9-60 (Badree)

Bowling: Nawaz 4-0-19-2 (w1), Amir 2-0-3-2

(w2), Hasan 1-1-0-1, Ashraf 1-0-9-0, Shadab

3-0-13-1, Malik 2-0-13-2, talat 0.4-0-3-1

Result: Pakistan win by 143 runs

SCOREBOARD

South African batsman Aiden Markram plays a shot

on the third day of the fourth Test cricket match

against Australia at the Wanderers cricket ground

in Johannesburg, South Africa yesterday.

SOUTH AFRICA, first innings, 488AUSTRALIA, first innings (overnight 110-6)M. Renshaw c De Kock b Philander ..............................8

J. Burns c Du Plessis b Rabada ......................................4

U. Khawaja c De Kock b Philander ..............................53

P. Handscomb b Philander .............................................0

S. Marsh c De Villiers b Maharaj ................................... 16

M. Marsh b Morkel ............................................................4

T. Paine c Elgar b Rabada ..............................................62

P. Cummins lbw b Maharaj ...........................................50

N. Lyon c Elgar b Rabada ...............................................8

C. Sayers c Amla b Maharaj ............................................0

J. Hazlewood not out ........................................................1

Extras (b3, lb 9, nb3) ....................................................15

Total (70 overs) .......................................... 221Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Burns), 2-34 (Renshaw), 3-38

(Handscomb), 4-90 (Khawaja), 5-96 (M. Marsh), 6-96 (S.

Marsh), 7-195 (Cummins), 8-206 (Lyon), 9-207 (Sayers),

10-221 (Paine)

Bowling: Philander 18-8-30-3, Rabada 19-7-53-3 (1nb),

Morkel 12.2-3-34-1 (2nb), Maharaj 20-3-92-3, Markram

0.4-0-0-0

SOUTH AFRICA, second inningsA. Markram c Handscomb b Cummins ...................... 37

D. Elgar not out ...............................................................39

H. Amla c M. Marsh b Lyon ........................................... 16

A. de Villiers c Paine b Cummins ...................................6

F. du Plessis not out .......................................................34

Extras (lb2) ......................................................................2

Total (3 wkts; 56 overs) ............................. 134To bat: T Bavuma, Q de Kock, V. Philander, K. Maharaj, K.

Rabada, M. Morkel

Fall of wickets: 1-54 (Markram), 2-79 (Amla), 3-94 (De

Villiers)

Bowling: Hazlewood 13-5-20-0, Sayers 8-2-33-0, Lyon

25-11-44-1, Cummins 10-2-35-2

SCOREBOARD

South Africa finished the day on 134 for three in their second innings, an overall lead of 401. The Proteas, leading the series 2-1, need only to draw to beat Australia in a home series for the first time since 1969/70.

Pakistan thrash Windies in 1st T20AFP

KARACHI: Pakistan downed a depleted West Indies side by 143 runs in the first of three Twenty20s in Karachi yesterday, the first inter-national match in the city for nine years.

The hosts had equalled their high-est-ever T20 score of 203-5, with Hussain Talat top-scoring with a 37-ball 41, opener Fakhar Zaman get-ting a 24-ball 39 and skipper Sarfraz Ahmed hitting 38 off 22 balls after the West Indies sent them into bat.

Shoaib Malik scored an unbeaten 37 from 14 balls.

The West Indies were bowled out for their lowest T20 total of 60 in 13.4 overs. The second match will be played today and the last tomorrow, all in Karachi.

Pakistani cricketer Hussain Talat watches the ball after

playing a shot during the first T20 cricket match against

West Indies at The National Stadium in Karachi yesterday.

34 MONDAY 2 APRIL 2018SPORT

Swimmers aim to set the tone for Aussies at Commonwealth GamesAP

GOLD COAST: Twelve months out of competitive swimming after the last Olympics gave Cate Campbell a good dose of perspective ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

She knows that as a swimmer competing at a major meet in Australia, the public has high expectations. Australia is among the leading nations in the sport globally, and the swimmers don’t have a forgiving crowd.

“We do set the standard of the meet,” Campbell said yes-terday before the team gathered at the outdoor Southport pool for their first look at the venue in games mode.

“But I don’t think Australia has ever been beaten in the pool (at the Commonwealth Games) and I don’t think this team is going to let that record fall.”

The Australian swim team won 19 gold medals - including five of the six relays - and 57 overall at the last Common-wealth Games in Glasgow four years ago.

That was double the total haul of second-place England. Canada was third was four gold and 11 overall, with South Africa, Scotland and New Zealand behind that with three gold

medals apiece. The Australians may have won the contest in the water, but England won more medals overall in Glasgow.

That ended Australia’s dom-inating run of finishing atop the standings for six straight Com-monwealth Games, and any chance of complacency coming back to the Gold Coast.

There’s a lot of emphasis on the swimmers after Australia’s below-par performance at the last Olympics and world cham-pionships, events that forced a rethink on how the team pre-pares and is selected for major events.

The emphasis now is on a short turnaround between trials and competition, similar to the successful US format.

Campbell, who won three

gold and silver in Glasgow four years ago, didn’t compete at a high level in 2017 after an Olympic campaign in Rio that

didn’t return the individual success she’d expected.

She beat a long-standing world record in the women’s 100-meter freestyle in June, 2016, but finished out of the medals in her event at the Olympics.

She picked up a gold medal as part of the 4x100 freestyle relay and a silver in the medley relay.

“I’ve never had a home-crowd advantage,” she said. “We saw it in Glasgow in 2014 - the Scots just lifted. There was some-thing in the air there that helped them lift.

“It’s not so much the pressure of expectation because (the home crowd) want to see you swim well.”

Campbell is part of a

49-member squad that also includes Olympic champions Kyle Chalmers and Mack Horton and world champion back-

stroker Emily Seebohm. To be back wearing the green and gold makes my heart beat a little bit faster,” she said. “I can’t wait to see what we can do over t h e n e x t couple of days.”

Most of the Australian swimmers will m i s s t h e opening cer-emony on Wednesday, because com-petition starts the following day when E m m a McKeon will compete in the

first three of her planned six events at the games. If she makes the finals, she’ll race five times on the opening day of the meet.

She won four gold medals and two bronze m e d a l s i n Glasgow, and is happier most of her toughest day will be early on the Gold Coast.

“ I ’ l l b e fresher on my first day,” she said.

“It’s a good day to have a busy one. It will be easier from then on.”

The last time the games were held in Australia - at Melbourne in 2006 - the home swimming team

was dominant with a haul of 16 golds, double second-place England.

But an England squad led by

Olympic breaststroke champion Adam Peaty is expected to produce a much closer contest in the pool.

Canada has also changed its approach to planning to ensure its 26-member squad is prepared to compete in an outdoor pool, adjacent to the sea in the Aus-tralian autumn.

Unlike the Australians, who had the benefit of swimming their trials at the games pool a month ago, Canada held its trials last year.

“We did an early selection so they could focus from September till March without any interrup-tions of getting ready again and no dramas,” Swimming Canada high performance direct John Atkinson said, noting his squad had 10 days to familiarize them-selves with Australian conditions.

“Everyone’s in good spirits. We’re coming into this on the back of a Canadian winter, which can be fairly harsh, so even though it’s been a little bit of rain, it’s still warm and eve-rybody’s in a good place.”

This picture taken as a long exposure shows rain clouds moving over the Gold Coast, the host city of 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, yesterday.

India’s Farzana Khan takes part in a lawn bowls practice session, ahead of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, at the Broadbeach Bowls Club on the Gold Coast, yesterday.

An athlete trains in the swimming pool at the Optus Aquatic Centre (GAC), ahead of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, yesterday.

NBA round-up: Wall returns as Wizards clinch play-off spot

AP

NEW YORK: Otto Porter Jr scored 26 points and Bradley Beal pitched in with 22 points as the Washington Wizards defeated the Char-lotte Hornets for the first time this season, winning 107-93 on Saturday afternoon at Capital One Arena in Washington DC.

With the win, the Wizards (42-34) officially clinched a playoff spot. The Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks sit a game and 1 1/2 games back, respectively, in the seventh and eighth spots in the Eastern Conference, but ninth-place Detroit (36-40) is well out of striking distance.

Porter, who also pulled in a team-best 11 rebounds, and Beal each made six 3-point shots, combining to go 12-for-18 from long range.

John Wall, who played in his first game since Jan. 25 after a knee injury, scored 15 points and 14 assists and Mike Scott also added 15 points for the Wizards, who won for only the second time in their last six outings.

Nets 110, Heat 109 (OT) Visiting Brooklyn used a

strong second half to get the game to overtime and beat Miami to prevent the hosts from clinching a playoff berth.

Dwyane Wade’s potential game-winning layup rolled off the rim in the final seconds of overtime to give the Nets their third win in four games against Miami this season.

The loss snapped the Heat’s nine-game home winning streak. Miami slipped to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind Milwaukee.

Warriors 112, Kings 96Kevin Durant recorded 27

points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Golden State ended a three-game slide with a victory over host Sacramento.

Klay Thompson returned from a thumb injury to score 25 points as the Warriors won for just the fourth time in their past 11 games. Quinn Cook added 10 points for Golden State, which received eight points, nine rebounds and seven assists from Draymond Green.

Golden State reserve guard Patrick McCaw was taken off the court via stretcher after being undercut while scoring a basket with 41.8 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Warriors said McCaw was transported to nearby UC Davis Medical Center.

Celtics 110, Raptors 99Marcus Morris had 25

points and nine rebounds and Jayson Tatum scored 24 as host Boston beat Toronto in a battle of Eastern Conference powerhouses.

Terry Rozier added 21 points and seven assists and Al Horford had 14 points for the Celtics, who earned their sixth straight victory and pulled within two games of the Raptors for first place in the East with six games remaining for each team.

DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 32 points with seven assists and seven rebounds, Serge Ibaka had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Jonas Valanciunas had 13 and 11 for Toronto, which suffered its fourth loss in the last seven games following an 11-game win streak.

Pistons 115, Knicks 109Andre Drummond had 22

points and 17 rebounds to lead five starters in double-figure scoring as visiting Detroit picked up a crucial win over New York.

Hamilton starts Flames’ 3-goal first in 3-2 winAP

CALGARY: Dougie Hamilton is closing out an impressive performance in a disappointing season for the Calgary Flames.

Hamilton’s league-leading 17th goal by a defenseman helped Calgary snap a seven-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.

“Quick release. (His shot) comes on you in a hurry,” said Flames goaltender Mike Smith, who only has to stare it down in practice. “He changes the angle really well. He’s definitely got a good shot.”

Mikael Backlund had a goal and an assist and Garnet Hathaway also scored to help

Calgary to its first win since a 1-0 victory over Edmonton on March 13. Michael Frolik added two assists, and Smith stopped 34 shots.

Anton Slepyshev and Mike Cammalleri scored for Edmonton. Cam Talbot gave up three goals on seven shots before he was pulled 15 1/2 minutes in with the Oilers trailing 3-1. Al Montoya came on and stopped all 13 shots he faced.

Edmonton grabbed the lead on Slepyshev’s sixth of the season 2:41 into the first, but the Flames responded with three goals in less than nine minutes.

Hamilton got it started with a wicked 30-foot wrist shot that beat Talbot at 6:43 on the Oilers’ first shot on goal. Hamilton has

13 goals since Jan. 1, tying him with Sean Monahan for second on the team behind Matthew Tkachuk in that stretch.

“It’s so heavy and his release is quick, he doesn’t need a wind-up to get the velocity on it. I thought Dougie had an excellent game,” Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said.

Hathaway put the Flames in front at 11:54, beating Talbot on a wrist shot inside the post from nearly 60 feet out. The short-handed goal was Hathaway’s first goal in 42 games.

Backlund neatly pulled the puck around Talbot and fired in his 14th goal of the season with 4:32 remaining in the first. That was it for Talbot.

“It wasn’t his best night,”

Oilers coach Todd McLellan said. “If we could get one of them back, we’d take it. But he’s been tremendous. In the last six weeks, he’s been a rock for our team.”

The Oilers were the much better team in the second period, outshooting Calgary 12-5 and narrowing the deficit to 3-2 on Cammalleri’s deflection with 7:19 left.

“A tale of two teams. First period, not good, nothing to be proud of,” said Cammalleri, who hadn’t scored since Dec. 28. “Second two (periods), probably more how we want to play.”

In one sequence, Edmonton had three odd-man rushes within the same penalty kill, but it only got one shot out of it. On

consecutive 2-on-1s, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl failed each time to get a shot on goal. Early in the third, the same duo combined again, but Drai-saitl rang a shot off the post.

NOTES: McDavid, the NHL’s leading scorer, failed to pick up a point, snapping his six-game scoring streak (seven goals, seven assists).... Edmonton was 0 for 5 on the power play. Calgary was 0 for 3 and fell to 1 for 47 over the last 16 games.... Calgary F Johnny Gaudreau returned to the lineup after missing two games (family matter).

Oilers: At Minnesota tonight before closing the season with two home games. Flames: Host Arizona tomorrow night.

35MONDAY 2 APRIL 2018 SPORT

Ian Poulter of England in action during the third round of the Houston Open in Humble, Texas on Saturday.

Poulter shares lead in Houston, eyes Augusta Masters ticket

AFP

HOUSTON: Ian Poulter kept alive his dream of a ticket to next week’s Masters on Saturday, firing a seven-under-par 65 to grab a share of the third round lead at the Houston Open.

The English Ryder Cup star, who must win in Texas this weekend to snare the final invitation on offer for Augusta National, produced seven birdies and no birdies to move to 14 under.

Poulter was joined at the top of the leaderboard by Texas resident Beau Hossler, who drained a birdie on the last to move to 14 under with a 69. Poulter’s performance was the latest twist of a roller coaster week for the 42-year-old, who was informed incorrectly during the WGC-Dell Techologies Match-Play championship in Austin that he had earned a place at Augusta.

He later learned that information was wrong, just 10 minutes before he teed off in a semi-final with Kevin Kisner, which he duly lost.

Poulter, who delayed his decision to compete in Houston, said he had still been irked by the mix-up when he arrived this week, shooting a 73 in the first round as he attempted to force the pace.

“Maybe I was a bit angry on Thursday, maybe I was kind of forcing, trying to force my way into a tour-nament,” Poulter said.

“It didn’t work, had to rethink it, had to kind of blow the cobwebs out Thursday night and reset and go again.”

Although one strong round could vault him into the Masters, Poulter said he would be relaxed either way.

“I’ll have no emotion at all. I’m going to go play golf,” he said.

“I’m in a no-lose situ-ation. I haven’t won a stroke play event on the PGA Tour and I’m in a position where I’ve got an opportunity to.” Poulter had earlier kick-started his third round with four birdies in his opening eight holes.

He then holed a 13-foot birdie putt at the par-4 10th hole to move to 12-under ahead of a superb tee shot to just seven-feet at the par-3 16th. He then split the fairway at 17 to land his second shot to just six-feet for a seventh birdie and a 65.

Poulter headed to the scorer’s hut leading at 14-under par and waited as Hossler, the overnight leader, did his best to match his English rival’s effort.

The 23-year-old struggled with just one birdie in his opening 10 holes only to drop a shot at 11 before the Austin resident steadied to birdie the next two holes and

move to 13-under par. He came to the last and duly delivered the birdie to tie Poulter, and much to the wild applause of a partisan Texas crowd.

While both Poulter and Hossler are desperately seeking the win to qualify for Augusta there are four players in third place at 12-under par and if any of those should win they will be heading to the Masters instead.

They include - Aus-tralia’s Greg Chambers (65), Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo (67), American Kevin Tway (69) and Ireland’s Paul Dunne (69).

Looming at 11-under par are two players already qualified for the Masters, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and American Matt Kuchar who signed for 69s.

Jordan Spieth is four off the pace at 10 under after a third round 71.

202 - Ian Poulter (ENG) 73-64-65, Beau Hossler 65-68-69

204 - Greg Chambers (AUS) 67-72-65, Emiliano Grillo (ARG) 69-

68-67, Kevin Tway 65-70-69, Paul Dunne (IRE) 64-71-69

205 - Robert Garrigus 69-68-67, Chesson Hadley 68-68-69, Matt

Kuchar 68-68-69, Keith Mitchell 67-71-67, Sam Ryder -68-68-71,

Henrik Stenson (SWE) 68-68-69

206 - Abraham Ancer (MEX) 68-66-72), Luke List 68-68-70,

Jordan Spieth 68-67-71, Shawn Stefani 68-68-69

LEADING SCORES

Joshua wants fight against Wilder after Parker winAFP

CARDIFF: Anthony Joshua called for a heavyweight unification fight with Deontay Wilder, saying it was “not time to sit back and enjoy the ride”, after beating Joseph Parker in Cardiff on Saturday.

Joshua added Parker’s World Boxing Organisation heavyweight title to his International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association belts with a unan-imous points decision over the New Zealander after being taken to 12 rounds for the first time in his unbeaten 21-fight professional career.

Now the pressure will build for a unification bout with the United States’ Wilder, the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion.

“I want Wilder... Get him in the ring and I’ll knock him spark out,” Britain’s Joshua said in the ring immediately after judges had scored the fight 118-110, 118-110, 119-109 in his favour.

But the London 2012 Olympic champion was in more considered mood at the post-fight press conference.

“2018 was always a time to capture all the belts,” said Joshua, flanked by promoter Eddie Hearn and trainer Rob McCracken.

“We are one away now.“In my eyes, it’s not time to sit

back and enjoy the ride,” he said The unbeaten Wilder took to

Twitter after Saturday’s contest in front of a 78,000 capacity crowd at the Principality Stadium to insist

he was “the baddest man in the world, the baddest man on the planet, and that’s fact”.

Joshua refused to rise to Wilder’s comments, including a previous remark when the American said he wanted a “body” on his record.

“I’m not into the business of hype, hype, talk, talk. I’d love to maybe go to America with Eddie and Rob and look at the landscape and see how serious they are, and deal with this behind closed doors.”

Hearn added: “I think it has to happen in 2018 otherwise we are going to hit some major problems with the politics and the manda-tories (mandatory defences of the various belts).

“If they (Wilder’s camp) stepped up and were actually serious about the fight, and serious about a deal we are more than fair to offer them, it could happen next. “But they are so erratic and unpre-dictable, I don’t know what to

believe.” Meanwhile a gracious Parker had no complaints after his first defeat in 25 bouts as a professional.

“We enjoyed being here, he (Joshua) deserved to win.

“We’re still young, we’ll be back, we’ll be champion again,” added the 26-year-old.

Parker and his camp were frustrated by the way Italian referee Giuseppe Quartarone repeatedly intervened to stop any close-quarter work developing between the two boxers.

They questioned the Italian’s suitability for taking charge of such a big fight given what they said was his poor grasp of English.

“We’re not blaming the ref (for the defeat) but he couldn’t really speak English,” said Parker.

“I wanted to work on the inside more.” Parker’s trainer, Kevin Barry, agreed.

“Obviously when one guy (Parker) has got a 76-inch reach and the other guy has got 84 or 85,

it’s important when we do close the distance so that we are able to work,” he said.

“Unfortunately for us, the referee just didn’t allow us to do that.

“I knew he was from Italy but I obviously expected we would have a guy who could commu-nicate with the two participants fighting.”

Butt Joshua’s trainer McCracken countered: “When he explained the rules for two minutes he spoke English,” he said.

Barry, however, would not blame the referee for Parker’s defeat.

“I was quite impressed with a lot of things Joshua did, he held his hands better and was quite hard to hit,” Barry said.

Meanwhile David Higgins, Parker’s promoter, said there was plenty more to come from his man.

“I saw the look in Joseph’s eyes, this has made him hungrier,” Higgins insisted.

Anthony Joshua celebrates with the belts after winning the fight against Joseph Parker on Saturday.

I want Wilder... Get him in the ring and I’ll knock him spark out. In my eyes, it’s not time to sit back and enjoy the ride: Anthony Joshua

David says pressure’s off for squash hat-trickAFP

G O L D C O A S T : Malaysia’s squash superstar Nicol David (pictured) said Sunday the “pressure is off” as she bids for a third straight gold medal at the Gold Coast Common-wealth Games.

The eight-time world champion, 34, currently ranked sixth in the world, is lining up for her sixth C o m m o n w e a l t h Games, but for the first time since Manchester 2002 she is not the tour-nament top seed.

“I’ve got nothing to lose,” David said. “I want to start strong and see how far I go.“The depth of the game is so strong. It’s anyone’s

competition, anyone in the top 10 could win.“The gold medals I have are very close to my heart

and that is spurring me on.” David competed in her first Commonwealth Games

as a 14-year-old at Kuala Lumpur in 1998 before spending a record 108 consecutive months (2006-2015) on top of the official women’s world rankings and amassed an incredible 56-match unbeaten run in 2009. She won Commonwealth singles gold at Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014. The women’s singles com-petition begins on Thursday.

Meanwhile, squash star Nick Matthew credits Brit-ain’s 2012 Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill for getting him back on track in his bid for a fourth Commonwealth Games title.

The 37-year-old Englishman -- who has also accrued three British Opens and three World Opens during his stellar career -- told The Times on Saturday Ennis-Hill had dispelled his most recent bout of self doubt.

“She (Ennis-Hill) is one of my wife’s closest friends but we don’t really speak about sport,” said Matthew, whose wife Esme is a sports physiologist.

“I was feeling flat and had the worst week of training I’d had all year.

“She said it was probably my body’s radar pro-tecting me. “It took a couple of words from Jess for me to realise my subconscious had the handbrake on.”

SPORT South Africa vs Australia,

fourth day of fourth Test

in Johannesburg

New Zealand vs England,

fourth day of second Test

in Christchurch

CRICKET CRICKET

LIVE ON

TUBE

36MONDAY 2 APRIL 2018

I wasn’t expecting a title here or anywhere, really. I just

wanted to make sure I got my game back where I wanted it

to be.

Sloane Stephens, says after winning the Miami Open title

Cross-Country Rally: Al Attiyah targets victory in home roundTHE PENINSULA

DOHA: After missing the UAE legs of FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rally, star Qatari driver Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (pictured) will be looking to earn maximum points in the fourth round of the series on home soil later this month.

Czech driver Martin Prokop is the leader of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies heading to the Qatar Cross-Country Rally, the fourth round of the series being hosted by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF), from April 17 to 22.

The former WRC star claimed the biggest victory of his career at last week-end’s Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and has now put the pressure on all his rivals in the Drivers’ Cham-pionship – Al Attiyah, who missed rounds two and three of the 11-race series.

Prokop teamed u p

with fellow Czech David Pabiska to push his Ford F150 Evo to victory over Poland’s Jakub Pry-gonski by the impressive margin of 13min 30.2sec on the six-day marathon across the UAE deserts.

That earned Prokop 60 crucial championship points and he now holds an unofficial advantage of nine points over the Pole in the rankings heading to Qatar.

Sixty points will again be on offer for the winner of the Losail-

based event, which gets under way

with a new cer-emonial start in Doha from 20.00hrs on

April 17. A l

Attiyah knows that missing the rallies in Dubai

and Abu Dhabi could prove costly

at the end of the season if he is

to win

the FIA World Cup for a fifth time and prevent a new name gracing the FIA World Cup trophy.

The Qatari has a total of 30 points from his win in February’s Baja Russia Northern Forest

Rally and holds fourth in the rankings behind the experienced Russian driver Vladimir Vasilyev.

Several other drivers, like Cyril Despres and Stephan

Schott, scored points in Abu Dhabi but have not arranged a full programme of FIA World Cup events this season, while Yasir Saeidan lies fifth in the standings and suffered a set back

after retiring from the Desert Challenge after oil pressure issues following damage to his Toyota Hilux. Entries for all cat-egories in the Qatar Cross-Country Rally close on April 5.

Martin Prokop of Czech Republic in his Ford F 150 Evolution in this file photo.

heading to the Qatar CrossCountry Rally, the fourth round of the series being hosted by the Qatar Motor and MotorcycleFederation (QMMF), fromApril 17 to 22.

The former WRC starclaimed the biggest victoryof his career at last week-end’s Abu Dhabi DesertChallenge and has nowput the pressure on all his rivals in the Drivers’ Cham-pionship – Al Attiyah, who missed rounds two and three of the 11-race series.

Prokop teamed u p

Sixty points will again be on offer for the winner of the Losail-

based event, which gets under way

with a new cer-emonial start in Doha from 20.00hrs on

April 17. A l

Attiyah knows that missing the rallies in Dubai

and Abu Dhabi could prove costly

at the end of the season if he is

to win

the FIAand prethe FIA

Thpoints fBaja R

1. Martin Prokop (CZE) 93pts

2. Jakub Przygonski (POL) 84pts

3. Vladimir Vasilyev (RUS) 69pts

4. Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (QAT) 30pts

5. Yasir Saeidan (SAU) 26pts

6. Cyril Despres (FRA) 24pts

7. Stephan Schott (DEU) 20pts

STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 3

Three Qatar boxers to take part in Sudan competition QNA

DOHA: Qatar’s boxing team yesterday finished their prepa-rations for the week-long Arab boxing event starting today in Sudan.

A total of 11 teams will par-ticipate in the competition where three Qatari pugilists will take part.

President of the Qatar Boxing Federation Yousuf Al Kazim said that the competition

will be very strong, due to the high technical levels of the par-ticipating players. He high-lighted in particular the threat of Algerian, Moroccan, Tunisian, Egyptian, and Iraqi players.

Al Kazim told said that the federation opted to participate with the players who were ready regardless of how many they were. He added that he expects the three players to give a good account of themselves during the competition.

On the absence of Amir Al Saai, who won a silver medal in Poland, Al Kazim said that the player suffered an injury to his shoulder that will keep him out of the competition. The player will up his rehabilitation however in order to be ready for the Asian games in Indonesia.

Al Kazim who is also the head of the Arab Federation, said that its executive office meeting will take place on April 7.

Al Mohannadi attends ITTF Museum openingThe Deputy President of International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and President Qatar Table Tennis Association (QTTA) Khalil Al Mohannadi (centre) along with other top ITTF officials during the star-studded opening of ITTF Museum in Shanghai, China on Saturday.

REUTERS

MIAMI: American Sloane Stephens kept intact her streak of never having lost a final as she defeated Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko 7-6(5), 6-1 to claim the Miami Open title on Saturday.

After a tense first set, the US Open champion reeled off six consecutive games in the second to beat the French Open winner and claim her first Miami title after a slow start to the season.

“I wasn’t expecting a title here or anywhere, really. I just wanted to make sure I got my game back where I wanted it to be,” Florida native Stephens said in a courtside interview after extending her record in finals to

6-0. “I knew if I just got back to the drawing board I would be OK.”

The crowd favourite had just six winners, compared with 25 for Ostapenko, but 48 unforced errors by the Latvian and Stephens’ relentless defence were the difference.

Adding to her triumphant weekend, Stephens, who was seeded only 13th in Miami, will make her world top-10 debut on Monday, after rising to number nine.

Ostapenko is currently ranked fifth.

Their error-strewn first set began with four consecutive service breaks and went to 6-6 before Stephens pushed ahead 6-2 in the tiebreak.

Ostapenko saved four set points but couldn’t halt Stephens as the Latvian lost her first tie-break - and first set - of the tournament when Stephens’ return pulled Ostapenko wide to the backhand and the Latvian netted.

Ostapenko grabbed the first break in the second set, but Stephens broke straight back and cruised to victory in an hour and 31 minutes. “I was a little nervous and it was showing in my game,” Stephens said of the first set. “My feet weren’t moving. I wasn’t swinging good at the ball.

“I just needed a little reminder to go for my shots, go for my forehand and really go for it if I wanted to take the title.”

Stephens claims

Miami title

Sloane Stephens of the United States holds aloft the Miami Open trophy after beating Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia on Saturday.